Cosmopolis Review Part 2 ~ Robert Pattinson as Eric Packer: We Like it Too

Another day, another circuitous diatribe. IndieMoviesOnline.com has revealed part two of it’s take on Cronenberg’s film adaptation of Cosmopolis. They’ve provided Cliff’s Notes (actually quite entertaining) for those not wanting to read the book. (Warning: CHOCK full of spoilers) You can read their full post HERE.

We’ve already discussed the book so I thought we could look at a few passages regarding the casting of Robert Pattinson. Yeah, I’m feeling feisty.

It is easy to discern what Pattinson hopes to gain from the endeavour. Just as the day-long journey of Eric Packer can be seen as that of a God falling from the sterile sanctuary of Mount Olympus, to the dirty streets below where he is free to love and steal and kill with all the other humans, so Pattinson clearly wants to scrub himself of the stifling sheen of teen exaltation, and instead have the opportunities to make the kind of movies he wants to make.

True. Good point. Many actors prefer a diverse career.

Water for Elephants appears a bridging picture in that process, a movie that won’t startle his core fans but will perhaps hook in a slightly older crowd than that which flocks to the Twilight films. The collaboration with an internationally-respected director such as Cronenberg then forms another facet of that process – one that can, he will surely be hoping, bolster his credibility in the eyes of critics and those film fans who have given him such a hard time to date. Those film fans being, as we determined yesterday, precisely the kind of auteurists who bow down and worship at the knee of Cronenberg.

Sounds smart to me.

Apparently happy to berth in these waters where large numbers of people actually see his movies, Cronenberg would first appear to have bolstered the box office potential of Cosmopolis via the addition of Pattinson. For all the good notices and attention he has received over the years, there remains a question mark over the ability of Farrell to open a film, with Alexander and Miami Vice having proved a pair of expensive, highly-visible, disappointments. Indeed, there has been some suggestion that it was the Irishman’s desire to prove his commercial virility which led him to pass on Cosmopolis in favour of the Total Recall remake.

However what Cronenberg does get through the casting of Pattinson – and what he wouldn’t have got had Farrell not exited – is the ideal movie star embodiment of Eric Packer. Because while the Pattinson devotees might present him as a throwback to vintage teen icons (both James Dean and Holden Caulfield have been regularly invoked in connection with Remember Me), he is in truth as much a 21st century man as DeLillo’s boyish billionaire.

This is my favourite part because he’s talking about US!

As Packer tames the torrents of information coursing through the Manhattan (and beyond) of the new millennium, making monster loot via his understanding of the financial maelstrom, so too Pattinson exists – to an extent – within these torrents, with his extraordinary following built from the ability of his fans to form an epic network trading specifically in information about him. Both have achieved preternatural success at a youthful age, both live in a world that wants a piece of them, and given the abnormal manner in which others relate to them both could be forgiven for considering themselves a near-deity on Earth.

But Rob doesn’t so… after A LOT of snark (Captain Jawline? Really?) we have a fairly positive reaction to Robert Pattinson’s casting. I believe the moral of the story is ‘Don’t Doubt Cronenberg’. 🙂

I think people were a little quick to jump on this bloggers back yesterday. Especially with this being a two part series and on the 2nd day him actually saying he thought the choice may work. That only time would tell. Which is what we have been saying all along… just give it a chance. I mean, really, he is snarky. Can we really be upset with him for that when all are? 🙂

Sorry, it’s my pet peeve for Rob fans to go and jump on the comments for blogs that don’t feel the Rob love like we do and slam the authors. Please people… if you don’t like what a blog is saying, just move along and ignore it. You feed the flames that we are all hormone-crazed teens, when OBVIOUSLY we are hormone-crazed adult women.

And I loved the synopsis. Wish I would have just read that instead of bothering with the book. And since I am not super familiar with Cronenberg, this blogger really gave me a good feeling for what to expect in this movie. Which means I might need to deal with seeing Rob’s hand with a hole in it. Ick.

I agree. The article didn’t bother me at all and even if it did, I don’t think it’s wise to attack opinion pieces. I tend to read articles like this under a different umbrella. There will be no unconditional love showered on Rob in them. They will be snarky or attempt to be clever because their audience is outside our bubble. That audience is either non-caring about Rob, skeptical about Rob’s abilities, or just unstinting about Rob. So another blogger will get laughed at with an article discussing Rob in adoring ways. That’s what we get to do 😉 and really we tone it down alot for this film.

I also said the same thing about us doing the same things the author did. Captain Jawline made me laugh and think, “so true!” but it was seen as too harsh. I really didn’t think so. The Playlist has been unquestionable harsh toward Rob and Cosmopolis. Their posts are actually the insulting ones. But even them, I just ignore their eye-rolling inducing commentary and check their news. I’ve had to correct them 3 times alone on Cosmo news. I like that better. Rather than yell at them for what they say about Rob, I just kindly call out the inaccuracies in their reports. Lowers the credibility behind those attacks.

My favorite part in the article was Deb’s as well: Rob’s “extraordinary following built from the ability of his fans to form an epic network trading specifically in information about him.”

HELL YEAH! *high fives all limo riders, pops head out the sun roof and gives a shout to the other limos (Rob blogs) riding down the same street*

Rob’s “extraordinary following built from the ability of his fans to form an epic network trading specifically in information about him.”

THis is exactly what Abbey has been pounding into our heads about Rob circulating as a virtual commodity, becoming “unreal” even unto himself. He is already larger than life. He is the grist we build our own fantasies and artistic creations upon. Just look at what Calliope does. It is hilarious, but it is an entirely fictional character crafted out of a universally understood reference (a celebrity named Robert Pattinson).

This is at the very core of Cosmopolis and I’m sure Cronenberg understands Rob’s plight as a disembodied commodity very well. He knew exactly what he was doing when he cast him… no questions asked.

You make excellent points as to why it’s better to correct than to beride the authors of articles such as this. I admit I couldn’t stop myself from replying, but I hope only help widen his perspectives and let more people see that not all “Pattinson devotees”….. see him as “teen icon.” I still believe that the mainstream media is still so fixated on what they see as “squeeing girls, lusty cougars and Twimoms” that they have no idea WE are out here.

KittyC

“Holy novel comment Batman!” LMAO

rpattzgirl

Really good synopsis of the story…hitting the major fine points…
Even though I wasn’t crazy about the book (and no, I never would have read this if not for Rob) I so crazy excited to see him take on this role.
I think he’s going to be brilliant, and yea, I’m ok with seeing “Edward” fist is hand in between her thighs….

KittyC

I was thinking that perhaps because many of us RPatz fans have read the amazing fanfics, Master of the Universe, Emancipation Proclamation, Clipped Wings and Inked Armor and others, we are more than ready for a more ‘bawdy’ Rob. I know I am. As I’ve said before, I will be forever grateful that Robert Pattison brought Edward Cullen to ‘life’ (so to speak! LOL), I am ready to see him move on and grow in his carerr.

Kim

And I thought we were just giving an opinion like the author did, our very own opinion also. I thought the article very descriptive/in fact had to look up the vituperative word. Let’s say I am in more agreement of what I see today, up above here. That’s nice to see when someone else agrees with you, a mere confirmation, not that you needed it!
With you chauffeur Tink…open the roof top.

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